Yara Shahidi Quotes

I'm trying to hold my head high and not apologize and be nice all the time because that's not always necessary.

If a boy messes up, you walk away. If a boy isn't treating you right, you walk away. It sounds simpler than it is, but you can't allow yourself to be disrespected. You have to be a strong girl.

When I was younger, I used to just want to please everybody and not want to be an issue or not be considered a diva. I've just grown up and realized you have to look out for yourself and stick up for yourself, and there's nothing wrong with that.

You cannot let people come up in your face and stop you.

As women, we need to remember: don't be a doormat!

What I wish for myself is that I could be the kind of person who just goes, 'This is what I need,' and doesn't feel bad about it.

You have a right to say no. Most of us have very weak and flaccid 'no' muscles. We feel guilty for saying no. We get ostracized and challenged for saying no, so we forget it's our choice. Your 'no' muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, 'I don't care if that's what you want. I don't want that. No.'

I was taught to be demure, so it was harder for me to learn how to stand up for myself and go, 'What do I want? What are my desires?'

I feel that confidence in women - especially young girls of color - but women, in general, is so important. It is so important for us to arm ourselves and become powerful at a very young age.

You should always stand up for yourself.

You always have to stand up for yourself.

You need to learn to say no and need to recognise when you're being exploited.

Don't change who you are and it's okay to say no.

We have to not be afraid to say no.

Don't be naive and allow a man to take advantage of you.

I have learned that it's OK for me to say no to things.

Nobody walks over me, ever, and no-one will walk over me, ever.

Stop saying yes out of fear about what others will think about you and say NO out of love for yourself!

I didn't write my book, 'I Don't Care About Your Band,' in order to give women a brand-new set of dating rules they need to feel terrible about not abiding. I wrote my book to make the women who read it feel good about themselves, and a little more entitled to be treated well by the guys they go out with.

I learned something from that. If someone asks me something that I really don't want to do, I say no. I have to trust that. And I'm not afraid to talk money.

I'm careful with my heart. I don't take crap from no one these days. I put my foot down. Being a woman, you deserve heaven and earth.

Girl power is about loving yourself and having confidence and strength from within, so even if you're not wearing a sexy outfit, you feel sexy.

I have had to learn about saying no.

I'd much rather be liked because people realize that I'm standing up for myself.

The power of 'no' means you're educating people in how to treat you.